I’m writing this from my new home in Naarm (Melbourne), two months after an interstate move from Gadigal (Sydney) and two months after leaving the hospital following my first episode of psychosis.
Psychosis is a mental health condition that can make reality feel out of reach—hallucinations, delusions, and confusion can take over, leaving life flipped upside down. For me, it was substance- and stress-induced, a culmination of too much work, too little sleep, and a build-up of things I didn’t yet know how to process.
Ironically, mental health was already central to my life before I got sick. I studied Psychology at Macquarie University and spent years working as a disability support worker and case manager. In my roles, I supported people navigating psychosis and mental health struggles, but I never imagined the condition would become part of my own story.
The lead-up to my episode feels clearer in hindsight. I was in a high-stress, full-time crisis role at a women’s drop-in centre while preparing for a major interstate move. Add unresolved trauma and a gradual reliance on prescription stimulants and marijuana to keep the stress at bay, and the cracks were bound to show. They did.
This blog, Zazza Diaries, is my way of making sense of it all. I want to explore those cracks, share the lessons, and shine a light on the process of starting over. My hope is that these reflections create a space where others can find connection, calm, and maybe even curiosity about their own messy, beautiful lives.
Thanks for being here.
Lize x